Cigarette lighters



April 15,.1969 P. J. MURPHY, SR. ETAL 3,433,717

CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Filed Oct. 21. 1965 INVEH TOPS PJ' Mar a/2y 5/. I Harp/2y Jr by a United States Patent 3,438,717 CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Patrick J. Murphy, Sr., 2842 Wills St., and Patrick J. Murphy, Jr., 2835 Wills St., both of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,501 Int. Cl. F23q 2/06, 25/00 US. Cl. 431-137 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention is a lighter for cigarettes, cigars and the like, an object being to provide a device of the character herewithin described an important novel feature of which resides in the provision of a spring-loaded, camactuating thrust rod designed to provide a rapid return of the snuffer upon release of an associated finger-piece.

A further important novel feature resides in the provision of means whereby the flint-wheel does not become filled with flint dust, either at all, or, if at all, then only after a much longer period of use than is the case with flint-wheels as employed on known lighters.

A novel characteristic flowing from the last stated object, in one embodiment of the invention as herein exemplified resides in the provision of a flint-wheel which, in combination with an automatically retractable or rapid return snuffer, is a flint-Wheel which is progressively rotated in the same direction at each operation of the lighter, instead of reversing direction upon the return or closing of the snuffer whereby the same portion of the perimeter is repeatedly exposed to frictional contact with the associated flint.

A further feature, in an alternative embodiment, for preventing fouling of the flint-Wheel, resides in returning it for as long as desired through a given arc of rotation, but, out-of-contact with the flint during the return movement whereby abrasive contact with the flint is halved.

A still further novel feature associated with the embodiment mentioned in the last foregoing paragraph resides in the provision of a flint-wheel which may be rotated so as to be secured for rotation with the snuffer, in three different positions. As a result the flint-wheel which, in any of the three positions rotates with the snufler approximately 120 clockwise and counterclockwise in the igniting and return movements, may be set to a new position when one 120 portion of its perimeter has become fouled with flint dust as aforesaid, and this in combination with the out-of-contact return characteristic already mentioned.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lighter in which, due to the flint being retracted out-of-contact with the flint-wheel upon rotary closing of the snutfer, not only will flint dust tend to fall away from the serrations of the wheel, but the flint is liable, through being loose in its tube as will hereinafter be more fully described, to turn slightly. As a result, there will not be the conventional cavitated surface constantly presented to the flint-wheel. Due to this a stronger spark is achieved. Such a stronger spark result from the fact that an abrasive edge o corner makes contact with the flint- 3,438,717 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 ice wheel at each successive, or nearly each successive operation of the lighter.

A still further novel feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a lighter which can be held open, or in other words in which the snufler can be held out-of-contact with the wick while lighted, indefinitely, and without maintaining pressure upon the associated snuffer finger-piece until it is desired to extinguish the flame. Such flame may then be extinguished by operation of the spring-loaded ramming element which normally bears up against the flint-wheel and prevents it from rotating. Such frictional contact is what holds the snuffer open so that the same is released and the flame extinguished only by retraction of the said ram and, with it, the flint.

A further novel feature of the present invention (reverting to the first embodiment thereof) consists in the ability to produce, in an automatically returnable snulfer assembly, a stronger spark than is: conventionally possible with automatically returnable snufler type lighters. This is due to the fact that the flint-wheel of such embodiment is manually rotatable in virtue of being secured or united to a finger-wheel of fairly substantial diameter, which finger-wheel is actuated with the actuation or opening movement of the finger-piece which rotates the shutter.

A further novel feature of the present invention resides in the provision of means whereby the user may readily see how much flint there is left in the lighter, such means including simple structural arrangements whereby a short, almost-used-up flint, may readily be ejected, and replaced by a new one.

Yet another novel feature of the present lighter resides in the provision of an upper surface of the reservoir which is angulated, or lies in a different plane to that of the opposite end of the reservoir or base of the lighter, the angulation herein referred to being associated with the provision that the wick opening is located at the high end of such inclined top surface so that the side adjacent to the wick is longer than the opposite side as between top surface and bottom of the reservoir, or top surface and base of the lighter (herein reserving the expression base or table and the like type lighters).

The advantage of the feature in the last paragraph herein referred to resides in the fact that the flame is in a direction away from adjacent metal parts of the lighter such as the snutfer and pyrophoric assembly which are thereby in no danger of becoming overheated, charred, o sooted.

A yet further novel feature resides in the provision of a lighter having a wick tube opening the plane of which is inclined toward the flint-wheel so that it is closer to the source-of-spark; in other words, closer to the abrasive contact point between flint and flint-wheel.

A still further novel feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a spring-ball valve filling assembly by means of which the nozzle of a. can of lighter fluid may be pressed against the ball and the reservoir filled by the yielding of the ball whereby the fluid from the nozzle gradually seeps into the fabric mass within the reservoir thus avoiding flooding and spillage.

A further object is to provide, in a lighter, all the foregoing novel characteristics-of-improvement while at the same time producing a lighter which is conspicuously simple, free from liability to get out-of-order, which can readily be self-prepared, without tools, and hence involves n0 servicing expenses.

With the foregoing in view, and all those objects, purposes or advantages which may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept embodied in the method, process, construction, arrangement of parts, or new use of the same, as herein particularly exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of such concept, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a main cross-sectional elevation, partly fragmented, of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the lighter of FIGURE 1 but as viewed from the opposite side to that from which FIGURE 1 is taken.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of a table, pedestal or desk type of lighter embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a view on the line 77 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary representation of the upper portion of the embodiment of FIGURE 5 but as viewed from the opposite side thereof.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary representation showing the spring-loaded ram and flint-wheel of FIG- URE 5 but positioned vertically, and further modified by the provision of a wick tube opening of conical configuration from which the wick projects at an angle towards the flint-wheel.

In the drawings, like characters of reference designate similar parts in the several figures.

Proceeding first to describe the embodiment of my invention as exemplified in the accompanying FIGURES 1 through 4, a reservoir generally designated 10 comprises a surrounding wall 11, a top, or upper surface or plate 12, and a lower end plate or base 13.

The interior of the reservoir may be divided into the compartments 14, 15, and 16 which may conveniently be considered as the filling compartment, central compartment, and wick compartment respectively. Communicating through the surface plate 12 with compartment 14 is a filling assembly collectively designated 17, comprising a cylindrical fitment 18 including a central passageway 19, any convenient form of end closure such as 20, a spring 21 being positioned in passageway 19 to bear upwardly against a ball valve 21' suitably seated against excessive upward movement by the shoulders 22 whereby convenient filling may be effectuated with the aid of the nozzle of a conventional lighter fluid can such that the fluid seeps past the loosely fitting and yieldable ball valve 21 into compartment 14, it being understood that the closure is suitably apertured to permit fluid passage.

A transfer tube such as 23 communicates between compartments 14 and 16. In the latter compartment is a wick 24 which is preferably, though not necessarily, conducted through a wick tube 25 which inclines toward the centertop of the lighter as will be described more fully hereinafter.

Centrally upon the top of the lighter is a mounting post 26 on which is journalled a flint-wheel 27 and a knurled finger-wheel 28, the flint-wheel and finger-wheel being united for rotation together, the former by the latter.

Also journalled on the post 26 is a snuifer assembly 29 consisting of the snuifer 30, cam 31 and finger-piece 32. The finger-piece 32 includes the over-arching portion 33 which partially encloses the flint-wheel 27.

Located within the intermediate compartment 15 is a flint tube 34 wherein is positioned a spring 35 and a screw-threaded bottom end cap 36 whereby the said spring and flint 37 may be removed therefrom when required after removing the base 13 or a central screw-threaded portion 38 thereof.

Also positioned within the intermediate compartment 15 is an upwardly biassed thrust-rod 39 provided with a piston base 40 housed within the thrust-rod tube 41. The rod 39 is upwardly biased by means of spring 42 within tube 41 against cam 31.

Finger-wheel 28 and cam 31 are suitably held upon the post 26 by means of the lock washer 43 or the like which surrounds the mounting shaft 46 for the aforesaid parts. The substantially exact configuration of cam 31 is best shown in the accompanying FIGURE 3. The snuffer assembly collectively designated 44 is shown closed in full lines, and fully open in phantom lines. From these two representative positions of the snuffer assembly 44 in association with thrust-rod 39 it will be apparent that a very fast return is imparted to the said snutfer assembly by the upward bias on the said thrust-rod against the contour 45.

It will be noted that the diameter of finger-wheel 28 is greater than that of the overarching portion 33 as considered with reference to the axis of mounting shaft 46'. As a result it will be clear that when the thumb is applied against the perimeter of finger-wheel 28, the snuffer assembly 44 will rotate under the influence of finger-piece 32 and thrust-rod 39 will be retracted. Flint-wheel 27 being secured to wheel 28 will rotate with it. Upon release, snuffer 44 will rotate clockwise with respect to the accompanying FIGURE 3 under the upward bias of thrust-rod 39 against contour 45, but the flint-wheel will not return.

From the accompanying FIGURE 1 it will be observed that the exposed end 47 of wick 24 is as close as possible to the point of frictional contact 48 between flint-wheel 27 and flint 37. It will also be observed that the flint-tube opening 49 is inclined toward the pyrophoric assembly comprising predominantly the aforesaid flint-wheel 27 and flint 37. As a result, when the snuffer 30 is lifted, the resultant spark will only have to cross a very short distance to reach the end 47 of wick 24.

Proceeding next to describe the embodiment and modifications of the invention as exemplified in the accompanying FIGURES 5 through 9, it will be seen that these have been illustrated in association with a table, pedestal or desk type lighter but this obviously need not be the case and what follows is not to be construed as restricted to such a form of lighter.

Thus the lighter of FIGURE 5, collectively designated 50 is seen to have a reservoir generally designated 51 which is inclined with respect to base 52. It should be understood however that reservoir 51 could be vertical and the top surface 53 inclined while providing a reservoir with vertical walls 52' instead of inclined as shown. In that case the wick tube opening 54 would equally remain elevated above the plane of the remainder of the top surface 53 so that the flame would rise clear of the adjacent component parts for reasons such as have already been stated, and, in addition, to provide a more widely spaced and isolated flame for simple convenience in lighting a cigar, cigarette or pipe.

In the embodiment now being discussed, the snuifer assembly collectively designated 55 also comprises the snuffer element 56, cam portion 57 and finger-piece 58. The same is journalled about pin 59 on post 60, as is flint-wheel 61. The contour 62 of cam 57 as best exemplified in the accompanying FIGURE 8 differs somewhat from contour 45 best shown in the accompanying FIG- URE 3. It will be apparent however that upon rotating the snuffer assembly counter-clockwise (with respect to the accompanying FIGURE 8) thrust-rod 62' will be retracted within the tube 63 in the manner already described in detail in connection with the embodiment in the accompanying FIGURES 1 through 4. It will equally be apparent that upon release of the finger-piece 58 that the thrustrod will be impelled upwardly by the associated spring to rotate the snuffer assembly clockwise into closed position for which reason it is not believed necessary again to describe these arrangements in greater detail.

In the present embodiment however flint-wheel 61 is secured for rotation to snuifer assembly 55 by means of the knurled thumb-screw 64 which projects through the arcuate or semi-circular slot 65 circumferentially formed in cam 57. Such thumb'screw is receivable in any one of three internally screw-threaded apertures 66 preferably positioned 120 apart near the perimeter of flint-wheel 61.

It Will thus be apparent that flint-wheel 61 moves clockwise and counter-clockwise with the snutfer assembly 55 against the flint 67. When a portion of the periphery of the flint-wheel is worn or becomes filled with flint dust, it may be rotated so that another aperture 66 may be engaged by the thumb-screw 64 the knurled head of which as depicted, is of a diameter greater than the width of slot 65 so as to permit tightening against the edge thereof.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 9, flint 67 is positioned within flint-tube 68 and is 'biassed upwardly against the underside of flint-wheel 61 by means of the elongated cylindrical ram 69. This ram in turn is biassed upwardly against the flint by means of the spring 70.

Tube 68 is longitudinally open as at 71 to provide a slot through which extends the next 71' of a trigger of which 72 is the projecting and actuating finger-piece. The facing wall 73 of the resrevoir is also slotted as shown at 74 of the accompanying FIGURE 5. As a result trigger 72 projects to the outside of the lighter so that it may conveniently be pressed downwardly.

From what has just been stated it will be apparent that since flint 67 bears against the flint-wheel 61, when the snutfer assembly 55 is rotated clockwise (with respect to the accompanying FIGURE 5) it will stay in the position into which it has been rotated. When however the trigger 72 is pressed downwardly, the snutfer assembly will snap counter-clockwise into closed position under the influence of thrust-rod 62 (FIG. 6) and associated parts.

Means are also provided, as best illustrated in the accompanying FIGURE 7 for removing a worn flint. These means comprise a hinged and rotatable cover-plate collectively designated 75 pivotted at 76 to one top corner surface portion of the side 52' (FIG. '9). The plate 75 lies flush with the top of the lighter being recessed within the thickness of the said cover portion 53'. It is provided preferably with a bevelled distal end 77 engageable with the complimentarily bevelled mating portion 78 in the thickness of top plate 53. The said plate is also provided with tubular aperture '78 which registers with the tube 68. Through this aperture extends the flint 67 as exemplified in the accompanying FIGURE 9.

By reference to the said FIGURE 7, and the provision of the tubular aperture 78 therein it will be apparent that the flint 67 must be no longer than the thickness of the cover-plate (or length of said tubular aperture). The cover-plate when provided with this tubular aperture moreover cannot be opened as indicated by doubleheaded arrow 79 until the trigger 72 has been moved downwardly sufliciently far for the flint 67 or ram 69 to be out of interception or overlap between the tube 68 and aperture 75 since otherwise these elements would form a lock across and between the cover-plate and the material of the lighter body therebelow. In this connection it should be particularly noted that FIGURE 9 exhibits the plate 75 open towards the viewer, but for better exposition shows the flint and ram in the space normally occupied by tubular aperture 78'. Normally of course the flint will swing out in said aperture with the plate after retraction of the ram 69 downwardly to the level at which the upper end thereof is on the plane of the surface 79'.

In the accompanying FIGURES 7 and 9 it will also be observed that the wick tube opening 80 is conical, and is provided with a wick opening 81 through which a portion of wick 82 may project, toward flint-wheel 61. This will be recognized as a modification of the arrangements best depicted in the accompanying FIGURE 1 in the vicinity of numerals 47 and 49.

Since various modifications can be made to the invention herein described within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed, it is not intended that protection of the said invention should be interpreted as restricted to the modification or modifications or known parts of such concept as particularly described, defined or exemplified, since this disclosure is intended to explain the construction and operation of such concept and is not for the purpose of limiting protection of .any specific embodiment or details thereof.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A cigarette lighter comprising, in combination with a fuel reservoir and wick, an upwardly projecting mounting post, a pyrophoric assembly including a flint wheel and means for rotating same, and a snuffer assembly, on top of said reservoir, said wheel and snuffer assembly being journalled on said post, said snutfer assembly embodying:

(i) a snuifer element capable of covering the exposed end of said wick,

(ii) a projecting finger-piece,

(iii) a rotary cam between said snufler element and said finger-piece, said snuifer element and said finger-piece being connected to and projecting from said cam, and

(iv) a spring-loaded thrust-rod in permanent bearing contact with said cam,

said cam, under the influence of said rod being so constructed and designed as (a) continuously to increase the returning tendency of said snuifer toward closed position as said snuifer is rotated by said finger-piece in an opening direction progressively until it reaches nearly fully open position, thereby increasing its speed of rotation in reverse, closing direction upon release, and (b) to hold said snuffer in fully open position until manually rotated in said reverse closing direction to said nearly fully open position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which:

(i) said rod projects upwardly from the top of said reservoir against the underside of said cam the axis of said rod lying on the vertical axial plane of the rotary axis of said flint-wheel and snuffer assembly,

(ii) said finger-piece includes an over-arching portion enclosing the upper portion of said fllint wheel and,

(iii) said means for rotating said flint wheel consists of a finger-wheel co-axially connected to said flintwheel, said finger-wheel being of a diameter such that the perimeter thereof projects above said overarching portion, said rotary cam being also journalled on said post co-axial with said flint-wheel and fingerwheel.

3. A cigarette lighter comprising, in combination with a fuel reservoir and wick, an upwardly projecting mounting post, a pyrophoric assembly including a flint wheel and means for rotating same, and a snuifer assembly, on top of said reservoir, said wheel and snufler assembly being journalled on said post, said snuffer assembly embodying:

(i) a snuffer element capable of covering the exposed end of said wick.

(ii) a projecting finger-piece including an over-arching portion enclosing the upper portion of said flint wheel.

(iii) a rotary cam between said snufiFer element and said finger-piece, said snufier element and said finger piece being connected to and projecting from said cam, and,

(iv) a spring-loaded thrust-rod in permanent bearing contact with said cam, said rod projecting upwardly from the top of said reservoir against the underside of said cam,

said cam and flint-wheel being connected for unitary rotation on said post, said cam, under the influence of said rod being so constructed and designed as (a) continuously to increase the returning tendency of said snuffer toward closed position as said snuifer is rotated by said finger-piece in an opening direction progressively towards said nearly fully opened position thereby increasing its speed of rotation in reverse, closing direction upon release, and (b) to hold said snuffer in fully open position until manually rotated in said reverse closing position to nearly fully open position, said lighter also including a flint-tube having a longitudinally extending slot therein, a spring loaded flint-ram in said flint-tube, a trigger projecting from said rarn through said slot, the flint being caused by the bias of said spring-loaded flint-ram to bear against said flint-wheel with a suflicient frictional coefficient to maintain said snuffer in open position until said flint is retracted by downward pressure on said trigger to relieve the friction between said flint and flintwheel, thereby permitting said thrust-rod to rotate said cam and said snuffer into closed position of the latter, said lighter also including an elongated opening in registration with said slot through which said trigger projects, and through which it may be moved and means for replacing worn flints, said means comprising a hinged and rotatable cover-portion on said reservoir top, said coverportion being apertured in alignment with said flint-tube and rotatable upon retraction of said ram under the influence of said trigger to permit ejection of a worn flint and insertion of a new one.

4. A cigarette lighter comprising, in combination with a fuel reservoir and wick, an upwardly projection mounting post, a pyrophoric assembly including a flint wh l and means for rotating same, and a snuffer assembly, on top of said reservoir, said wheel and snufier assembly being journalled on said post, said snuffer assembly embodying: I

(i) a snufler element capable of covering the exposed end of said wick,

(ii) a projecting finger-piece;

(iii) a rotary cam between said snuffer element and said finger-piece, said snutfer element and said finger-piece being connected to and projecting from said cam, and

(iv) a spring-loaded thrust-rod in permanent bearing contact With said cam,

said cam, under the influence of said rod being so constructed and designed as (a) continuously to increase the returning tendency of said snuifer toward closed position as said snuffer is rotated by said finger-piece in an opening direction progressively toward nearly fully open position, thereby increasing its speed of rotation in reverse, closing directing upon release, and (b) to hold said snuife-r in fully open position until manually rotated in said reserve closing direction to said nearly fully open position, said cam and flint-wheel being connected for unitary rotation on said post, said lighter also including a flint-tube having a longitudinally extending slot therein, a spring-loaded flint-ram in said flint-tube, a trigger projecting from said ram through said slot, the flint being caused by the bias of said spring-loaded flint-ram to bear against said flint-wheel with a sufficient frictional co-eificient to maintain said snuffer in open position until said flint is retracted by downward pressure on said trigger to relieve the friction between said flint and flint-wheel, I

thereby permitting said thrust-rod to rotate said cam and said snuffer into closed position of the latter.

5. A cigarette lighter comprising, in combination with a fuel reservoir and wick, .an upwardly projecting mounting post, a pyrophoric assembly including a flint wheel and means for rotating same, and a snuffer assembly on top of said reservoir, said wheel and snutfer assembly being journalled on said post, said snuffer assembly embodying:

(i) a snuffer element capable of covering the exposed end of said wick,

(ii) a projecting finger-piece,

(iii) a rotary cam between said snuffer element and said finger-piece said snuffer element and said fingerpiece, being connected to and projecting from said cam, and

(iv) a spring-loaded thrust-rod in permanent bearing contact with said cam,

said carn, under the influence of said rod being so constructed and designed as (a) continuously to increase the returning tendency of said snuffer toward closed position as said snuffer is rotated by said finger-piece in an opening direction progressively toward nea-rly fully open position, thereby increasing its speed of rotation in reverse, closing direction upon release, and (b) to hold said snuffer in fully open position until manually rotated in said reverse closing direction to said nearly fully open posimom, said lighter also including adjustable means between said cam and flint-wheel for eflecting unitary rotation thereof, said means consisting of the provision of an armate slot circumferentially formed in one of them, a set of spaced, screw-threaded apertures being formed in the other of them in registration with said slot, and a screw receivable into any one of said apertures, said screw having a head of greater diameter than the width of said slot to permit the same to be tightened against the edge of said slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,700,486 1/1929 Clark 677.l 2,729,959 1/1956 Ladner 677.1 1,725,901 8/1929 Douglass 677.1 2,454,501 11/1948 Camm 677.1 2,475,733 7/1949 Younghusband 677.'l4 2,478,584 8/1949 Kohn 677.1 2,506,774 5/1950 Burshstein 677.1 2,514,173 7/1950 Weissner 677.l 2,698,534 1/1955 Kuhnl 677.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 979,810 12/1950 France. 843,931 8/1960 Great Britain.

EDWARD J. MICHAELS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 43 l138 

